Evening Star Newspaper, February 7, 1929, Page 39

! sp Hornsby, Pleased With Surroundings, Hopes to Have a Big Season BELIEVES CHICAGD HAS FLAG CHANGE Thinks He Will Play Better as Private—Never Liked Being Manager. BY ROGERS HORNSBY. OW the sun is shining again. The future is inviting. I e my country home, I'm h&ppy among my chickens and dogs and cattle and horses, I'm going to Chicago to play ball with the CuM, and it looks as if we have a chanc. o win the pennant. The deal announced last November, sending me from Boston to Chicago after one season with the Braves, was not a shock to me, nor was it much of a surprise to anyone. But I must say here that it was not at all unpleasant playing ball in Boston, especially for such a man as Judge Fuchs, president of the Braves. He is one of the finest characters I ever met in the game and I'm sorry to leave him. But I know 1t is best for all concerned. I think I really had a hand in making that deal with Chicago. I advised Judge Fuchs to make it. I soon realized that Jjust my presence couldn't make a win- ner of the Braves. I knew the club' needed saveral more players and needed money to get them. I felt sure the Braves could make a deal for me that would give them two or three good players | and some cash to buy others. Hornsby Suggests Trade, Near the close of last season I went ®o Judge Fuchs. “Judge,” I said, “you can’t get anywhere with me, and much as 1 like to work for you, I think you ought to trade me while I'm still young. My presence alone can't win for the Braves. Why don't you see what kind of a deal you can make with the Cubs?” The judge and I had become close friends. Our associations were most pleasant. The only thing I had against them was that Judge Fuchs was contin- ually wanting me to go to dinners with him, or down to the beach into social life, and I never could do those things and play ball at the same time. I used to say to him, “Judge, it would be nice to go with you on these parties, but you're forgetting that you hired me to play ball. I need a lot of sleep and rest between games.” Well, the judge saw the wisdom of this, and he saw the wisdom of my sug- sutlon of a trade. He talked with Mr. ‘eeck, president of the Cubs. Mr. Veeck talked with his manager, Joe McCarthy. ‘They must have wanted me, because the deal was quickly arranged, and soon after you read this story I'll be wearing :h Chlcngso umnu?hr:’:: l:m“:nctmn‘ with e Cu raining camp or Catalina Island. . ke Glad to Be in Ranks. Some of 'my friends thought I would be disappointed in losing out as a man- ager, and being reduced to the ranks of a player. I can say truthfully that never have I cared to be a manager. I didn't want the job in St. Louis, nor | did I want it in Boston. I don't care for the honor of belng leader as long as I can get the money as a mere player, I think I'll be able to lay better base ball than ever, through ing relieved of the cares and worries ©of managing a team. McCarthy is a leader I have admired for the three years he has been in‘the National League as a manager. He sim- ply compelled us to admire him, because each year he took a team that few of us figured had any chance in the pennant race and made things hot for us. He must be a great leader. I never saw a ball team hustle harder than the Cubs, » ¥4hat they arrive in New York that they cannot get anywhere unless they “cut in” ORTS. With W. O. McGEEHAN. Blood Money, HEN the New York State Boxing Commission paid off Max Schmeling, the German prize fighter, they held out 3313 per cent of his share of the returns from the bout with Johnny Risko until the various para- sites claiming percentages in the German can agree as to how the money should be split. The boxing commissioners seem quite socilit- ous as to the welfare of the cooties of the cauliflower industry. Joe Jacobs, the pugilistic pawnbroker who hangs out at the sign of the three %olden caulifiower ears instead of the traditional three balls, seems to have the major part of the third interest held out on Schmeling. The boys insist that Mr. Jacobs earned this percentage by teaching Schmeling all that he knew. You will recall that Mr. Jacobs lent or paid $100,000, it is alleged, to Pete Reilly for M. Ovila Chapdelaine, also known as Jack Delaney. Subse- quently, Delaney fought Jack Sharkey and kissed the canvas almost immediately. From this it might be inferred that if Mr. Jacobs is an instructor of anything it is diving into the dry tank. All the gentlemen who have acquired first, second or third mortgages on Schmeling are not filing their claims openly, I am told. Their interests have been placed in pawn with Mr. Jacobs, and when the shares in Schmeling’s purse are cut they will present their tickets quietly in Mr. Jacobs’ pugilistic pawn- shop and get theirs. They are too retiring to come out into the open. It is an open secret that visiting pugilists are led to understand the moment for a percentage one of several gentlemen who claim influence with the boxing commission, Fourteenth street or the City Hall. Perhaps these claims are | fictitious, but the boys get away with it. When the boxing commission acts as | a collection agency for the cooties of the cauliflower industry it makes it easier for the collectors of blood money and makes the visiting pugilists believe that the claims of the boys must be founded on scmething substantial. There are more parasites o the square foot in pugilism than there are in politics, and that is saying a great deal. Perhaps this is because professional pugilism is so intimately associated with petty larceny politics. The boxing com- mission should be using a figurative delousing machine on this seamiest side of the racket instead of furnishing the managerial racketers with material to prey on the pugilists. Just before the Battle of the Slightly Less Than Three Millions, Gene Tun- ney, the permanently retired heavyweight champion of the world, took a pencil | and a piece of paper one evening after dinner. “Let me see,” saild Mr. Tunney. “The New York State Boxing Commission | rules that I should give Wil Gibson 33'5 per cent of all that I earn. Mr. Tim Mara is suing me for 25 per cent. Mr. Boo Boo Hoff is suing me for 25 per | cent. A former manager of mine deeded 10 per cent of me to a dear friend of | his as a token of love and affection. I think that leaves me just about 623 per | cent of myself.” Mr. Tunney, as many commentators have noted, rarely uses profanity. But, after going over the figures, I regret to report that he added with great sincerity, “They can all go to h- " Which accounts for some of my admiration for Mr. Tunney, not to forget sen&l; Luis Angel Firpo of the Argentine. They kept the cooties out of the caulifiower. Pleces of Caulifiowers. There have been some notable instances of where a prize fighter was not & human being, but a syndicate. There was, for instance, Jess Willard, who won the heavyweight championship from Jack Johnson at.Havana. To this day Jack Johnson maintains that he took a dive, as the boys say, and that he was given all of the gate receipts for going voluntarily horizontal. I am inclined to believe that, in just this one instance, Jack Johnson was telling the truth. At any rate, Jess Willard returned to the United States without a dime. In fact, he was worse than broke, because he had signed away 75 per cent of himself to be made heavyweight champion of the world. This was before the days of the million-dollar gates. 1t irked Willard no little to feel that he owned such a small interest in him- self. With the first money that he earned he proceeded to buy himself back. At the time of the bout with Dempsey at Toledo he had bought out the majority stockholder and the other had only a slight percentage of him left. He was not entirely free of the cooties before he lost the heavyweight championship. Some managers assign or present “pleces” of their prize fighters as one would assign or present shares of stock. Some time ago Mr. John the Barber offered me a plece of a potential heavyweight champion as a token of esteem. Mr. 1i,!]ol’m the Barber felt hurt when his little gift was refused as gently as posstble. And some of the boys are peddling pieces of their fighters at Uncle Joe Jacobs’ pugilistic pawnshop, or caulifiower curb market. One of these days they THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. . THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1929. SPORTS.' 39 Cantrell Signs His Contract, But 14 Griffs Still Are Shy Special Dispatch to The Star. AMPA, Fla., February 7.—While No. 18—the signed document of Recruit Pitcher D. Guy Cantrell —was received this morning at the training headquarters of the Washington ball club here it is becom- ing more apparent each day that all is not serene in the House of Griffith. ‘Although it is true that the Nationals' president strictly adheres to his policy of not discussing the contracts of play- ers signed or otherwise the very fact that two weeks before the first squad is due here finds 14 players outside the fold is of itself evidence that there must be a marked difference between what Griffith thinks his players should work for the coming season and what the athletes themselves consider a just wage. .End it also is more or less plainly evident that unless some of the signed players, particularly th heed to B will be walking around in the lobby of Madison Square Garden crying their wares to the customers: “Pieces of caulifiowers, pieces of caulifiowers; Tmy or | selll Best prices at Uncle Joe Jacobs' pugilistic pawnshop!” SANDE MAY PILOT OWN HORSES HOME that I know McCarthy very well, but I am looking forward with keen interest to working for him. ‘What the future has in store is only a guess. But I'm eager for it. I think the Cubs have a chance this year. The pitching _staff is strong and well bal- & | made many friends in St. Louis, New anced. Perhaps the team needed addi- tional hitting strength. If I can supply | it, we ought to be in the pennant fight. I know the loyalty of Chicago fans and I have many friends in that eity. I York and Boston, too. Now I shall be battling against St. Louis, New York and Boston, but I hope all my friends will stick with me. d Hornsby Series.) (En (Copyright, 192, by North American News- paper Alliance.) KING TUT BOOKS BOUT. CHICAGO, Feb 7 P).—King Tut, sensational Minneapo! htweight, has been signed to .meet Winkler of | since he took command. I can't say Philadelphia in a 10-round bout herei Monday night. BALTIMORE, February 7.—The rule that “No jockey may own a race horse” has been amended by the Maryland Racing Commission to read: “Jockeys may ride horses owned by them and no_others.” Referring to the ruling, which will apply to all Maryland race tracks, James A. Latane, chairman of the com- mission, said that “such a rule is al- ready in operation in Kentucky and Canada.” The new ruling will permit Earl H. Sande, famous jockey, who last year acquired a stable after a long career as a pilot, to ride his own horses in Mary- land next Spring. Sande recem\I was quoted as saying he was hopeful of such a change. STUDEBAKER Del Car 1o $3485—, 1, 2%, 3%2 tons 1-ton panel (Illustrated) $1450 prices at the factory ramps or Ambassadors? Antiquated ““tramp”’ delivery cars are a distinct liability and a discredit to any establishment. Studebaker delivery cars are ambassadors of good will which carry the prestige of a store to the customer’s door. These cars offer a sensible investment because of their high value, greater eapacity and the splendid advertising they afford. The strongest guarantee of the quality and dependability of Stude- baker Delivery Cars is the good name of Studebaker, built upon a 77-year old reputation for honest manufacture. B Mckeon 1423-38-81 L 8¢ N, eeatur 456 Roval Sales Co. Front Royal, Va. “last-word” letters, now in the mail or soon to be deposited therein, some of them will be told to sign on the dotted line or stay away from the training camp. Of the 14 players who have not yet come to terms there are 6 who are classed as “regulars.” This list in- cludes Buddy Myer and Minter Hayes, | inflelders; “Goose” Goslin, star out- fielder; Ed Komna, catcher, and Sam Jones and Freddy Marberry, pitchers. Kenna is included in the list of “regu- lars” solely because he was with the club last year, although the presence on the lisf of new material of two promis- ing receivers undoubtedly makes Ken- na’s position with the club one of mark- ed_uncertainty. ‘There remain eight other players un- signed—Elmer Boss, first baseman; Charles Gooch and Elmer Yoter, third basemen; Spencer Harris, oulfielder; pitchers. Burke already has agreed to Griffith’s terms, but the formality of a signed contract has not yet been en- 'fir%d into between himself and the ball club. There is not much chance that there will be any serious trouble between the ‘Washington Ball Club and the regulars. There will be reached at some not far distant period a common meeting ground between the unsigned players and Griffith—a give and take proposi- tion whereby each gives ground a bit— but it is not believed that the head of the Natlonals wiil allow himself to be dictated to very strongly by the players yet to show thelr value to the club—the untried recruits. Much is expected of the youngsters coming up for trial this year with the Washington club. A small fortune has been spent for this raw material—but sparkling records in minor leagues are not always a guarantee of success under the big tent. And it is this element of uncertainty attaching to the new play- ers which makes their salary demands rather difficult to justify. It is to some of these new players, therefore, that ultimatums are more than likely to be sent. Cantrell, whose contract was received 1ff Bolton, cafcher, and Robert Burke, | today and who answers to the parted- Adolph d 1l gh, | 1 2 for25¢ VAN DYCK - BANKERS the-middle given name of D. Guy, is a native of Wilburton, Okla. He is 1 inch taller than 8 feet and his weight is given as 196 pounds. He is 25 years of age and bats and throws right-hand- ed. He had a trial with Brooklyn of the National League, but was obtained last year from Baltimore of the Inter- national League, where he won 20 and lost 17 games. In the 309 innings that he toiled for the Orioles he fanned 155 batters. Mike Martin has spent most of the time since he reached the training camp last Sunday in touring the infleld of the fair grounds counting the spots where holes in his beloved ball field are to be left when the fair “pulls stakes” next Saturday night. “I never did see so many poles driven in the fair grounds in all my life,” wails the Nationals’ trainer. “It seems there must be a hundred more than last year. We will have some job getting that old ball fleld ready for the first squad. But we'll have it ready—don’t you worry about that.” Martin also spikes the yarn sent up by the writer that the running track will be any harder this year than before. “It might have seemed as hard as con- crete before those automobiles got t]hrcugh skidding through it, or before the their ff. but I'll guarantee that when With Cubs they get through here next Saturday 1t'll be plenty icose. Guess I'll have to roll it some more, if anything. Martin is as fat as a butter ball and it probably is a good thing for the genial Mike that there is no one with authority to make him don one of those rubber shirts which the trainer usually pre- scribes for too much avoirdupois. HAGEN IS FACING TRIAL IN SUIT BY HIS WIFE LOS ANGELES, February 7 (#).— Golf is all right for pleasure, but not so good for making money, Walter Hagen, professional, told Superior Court Judge Marshall McComb here. At the time he made a separate main- tenance agreement with his wife, Edna Hagen, under which she seeks to collect $8,000, he was making considerable money selling Florida rea' estate, he said, but added that he lost that job and now must depend on his goif in- come. He had asked that the agreement be horses in the rodeo started to strut | set aside, but the court ordered Mrs. Hagen's suit brought to trial. The same fine cigar that enjoyed leadership on the Pacific Coast.. at 2 for 25¢. Now nationally famous at 10¢. you’ll like Van Dyck / 4 $-